On religion, politics, and family.

For our Sunday Family Dinner tonight, My sister Jennifer and her two sons, Greyden and Trenton joined us for pulled pork tacos and chocolate cake and Ice cream.  I have missed seeing my sister, and I really enjoyed the time we were able to spend together.  Her husband Dan has been working in a small town outside of Houston, TX, for the last several weeks, and we were able to skype with him, and see how he was doing.  I realized I will most likely be in his position in a couple of years if, no, when I am deployed in the Navy, and I am going to cherish those times that I get to talk to my wife and girls.  I am really proud of Jennifer and Dan, how they are making the best of a hard situation, and I pray that things will work out soon so that they can be together.  In this hard economic time, Dan had to make a very tough decision to put the welfare of his family before what would have been comfortable for him, and for that he has my utmost respect.  We will see you soon for Christmas!!

My studies in seminary are creating more questions than they are solving.  Not that I was lost adrift in a world of theological confusion before, but not I am not completely sure that what I thought and was raised to believe is what the Bible actually teaches.  Take Politics for example.  On Saturday, I attended The Institute for Contemporary Theology: New Wine- New Wineskins Fall conference "Church and State."  For someone who HATES politics with a passion, my mind was opened to new thoughts and ideas that I had never before processed.  Being raised in the conservative Baptist church, I always thought that Christians should fall on the republican side of the party lines.  Whenever I saw democrat bumper stickers in the church parking lot, I wondered if they were visitors cars, or if someone from my church was actually going to vote for Michael Dukakis?  Well, I did grow up a bit between then and now, but I still find myself with mostly conservative ideals.  At the conference, I was challenged to think outside of my political comfort zone.  Dr. Paul Louis Metzger challenged everyone in the attendance to put aside partisan principles and focus of working for the common good.  He said "WWJD applies to politics too.  Jesus trumps all other obligations." Being a conservative, I am against outrageous government spending by principle, but I have been challenged to consider the alien, orphan, and widow, along with the other disenfranchised and marginalized parts or our culture.   I am not saying that I am going to vote to raise taxes to help them, but I think it is important to see how the Church and government can come together to help these needy among us.  Like St. Paul (not Metzger) wrote in Ephesians 4:4-6, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."  We are all in this together (to quote an abomination of a Disney movie)

Another area that I was forced to reconsider was the Muslim Moment in American Politics.  The question was raised, if most conservatives are going to vote for a Mormon for president, would it be out of the question to vote for a qualified Muslim, if one ran? Old Daniel would have said that he under no circumstance would ever vote for a Muslim, because their values are so much different than my own.  After listening to Mr. Harris Zafar, national representative for the Ahmadiyya Muslin Community Intentional  I must admit that I have been open to considering the possibility. Not because I believe that the Christian and Muslim (or Mormon) faiths are the same side of the coin.  Not at all, but if the candidate was actually following what the Koran (4:136) teaches about government being separate from religion, and if this candidate was going to work for the freedom of religion, justice, defense of OUR country, and assistance for the poor and needy that they base their views of government on, I could consider voting for anyone with whom I shared similar beliefs if the alternative was more against my beliefs.

The reason I say that I hate politics is not that I think the government is evil, but I believe the system is broken and needs an overhaul.  In my mind, the 2 party system is flawed, and nothing is ever going to change for the better until something is done about the way our government works.  I hate that my choice for president in several of the past elections felt like picking the lesser of two evils.  I am not really concerned about this up coming election either, because which ever person wins is not going to be able to change anything.  Look at all that Obama has done in the last 4 years (or not?)- I am pretty sure that I am not any better off than I was before, and I am sure that if McCain was elected, he would have had just as much trouble enacting any changes that would have put America on the "right path." Don't ask me how to fix it, I have no clue (and that is why I stay out of it as much as I can) but something needs to be done so that all of us can see a change that puts America back on the map as a country that "Love's its neighbors as itself" and strives to work for the common good.

I am grateful for all the experiences and new ideologies that I am being exposed to.  It is a lot to take in.  Music school was way easier, but I know that God's plan for my life includes this season, and with His strength, I can do great things.

Family and Sacrifice

So while Daniel has been diligently blogging, I have not.  I honestly don't really know what to write.  I've started several blog posts but have never posted them.  Perhaps I am most afraid of how I will appear to the ouside world?

Right now life is very complicated.  There are just so many things going on.  Daniel is perpetually busy.  If it's not class, it's reading.  If it's not reading, it's writing papers.  If it's not writing papers, it's study group.  If it's not study group, it's worship team.  If it's not worship team, it's church responsibilities.  If it's not church responsibilities, it's outside musical gigs.  It does not leave a lot of time for anything else.  Sometimes family gets left behind.  I'm trying not to complain but I'm not always successful!  I have never been a meek and quiet woman.

I'm not so much afraid of our relationship - Daniel and I will survive and come out stronger than before (a ridiculous cliche, but true nonetheless.) I'm mostly afraid that he will miss "IT."  The day to day little things: Brynn discovering her toes; Aurelia playing with magnets in the playroom; Aurelia reading to Brynn and Brynn talking back; and the major day-to-day tantrums. I really wish he could see those in all their hour long glory.  He sees some of it, but oftentimes he is distracted. 

There are times that he's alone with the girls.  I work three days a week in the evening, so Daniel is in charge of entertainment, dinner and bedtime (he has his own ritual with Aurelia, including hair brushing, monkey sounds, and Llama Llama marathons.)  I know it's stressful for him during these times.  He semi-jokes that the girls prefer me to him.  At this point in their lives, they probably do.  I'm around most of the time. 

Don't mistake this complaint for ingratitude.  Daniel is an amazing father and provider.  He works very hard and has sacrificed a lot for our family.  But we are sacrificing a lot in return.   

I have been told by several people that it has been too long since the last posting, but I have been so busy.  I should really be writing a reflection of an article that I just finished reading, but I have had some thoughts that I felt like needed expressing, so here it goes.......


As alluded to in the title of this blog, the point is to reflect on how God is guiding this journey we call life.  Not only for me and my studies at the seminary, but for my whole family.  I have been struggling with being able to trust God's timing as of late.  I have so many questions as to why He has chosen this calling for me now.  As I reflect on the past, I know that it would have been much easier to go to seminary when I was still single, or at least newly married.  I have so many things that combat for my time and attention, and it is so hard to keep a balance.  Between my relationship with Emily, being a present father to Aurelia and Brynn, doing all the reading, writing, and class attending that I have, being a pastor of a fledgling program and a church that needs a lot of my efforts to keep in moving in, professional music gigs, and trying to find a moment or two to myself, I realized today that I have put on the back burner the one thing that should always be #1, my personal time with God.  I get plenty of time in the Bible, for class and church, but I am not spending the time that I really need to reflect and grow personally.
  
 Why did God wait 8 years to call me to this course?  I am not saying that my career as a school teacher was a waste of time or that I regret any of it, but I know that if I had gone directly from undergraduate studies (preferably in an area that would have better prepared me for where I am now) to seminary, I would be done now, and not brawling for every free minute to get the next task completed.  It is just hard to Trust that He knows best.  I have trusted Him to guide my paths to this point, but I guess a look back (in hind sight, of course) I see how I think He could have done a better job.  (Of course- I am not saying that His timing is not perfect in His own way)

Another difficulty in His timing, is that if I had come to seminary in 2004, I would have finished before Aurelia was born in 2010.  Now we have 2 children (and about 75% of the other seminarians also have families so it seems to be a trend) and every day I have a hard time knowing that He will provide financially for us.  Last Friday in my Old Testament survey class, I pointed the finger at the Hebrews who were in the wilderness wandering for not trusting that God would provide. "Over and over, we see the Hebrews complaining 'We have not food' and God gives them manna. 'We have not water' and out of a rock comes a stream of drinkable water.  'We are tired of manna. Can't we have some meat?' and the quail as far as the eye could see and 3 feet deep appear for the people, but yet they still said that it would have been better to be back in slavery in Egypt than to 'die' out in the wilderness.  DON'T THEY GET IT" I exclaimed.  While all the while I am thinking, where are we going to live, and God gave us a house on campus.  How are we going to eat and God provides WIC and SNAP benefits.  Will my dog ever get adopted from OHS, and today we found out that Rocco has a new home.  What will happen if one of my girls gets sick, and God provides OHP.  How am I going to sell my stupid house, and after being on the market for 36 hours, we had 3 offers.  How am I going to pay the $1151.80 auto mechanics bill for my stupid used car that I only bought for $1900, and God puts it on the heart of someone close to me pay every cent.  I am brought to tears with how He continues to provide, yet I still wish that I was in a more secure position.   WHY AM I SO BROKEN?

I find comfort in I Corinthians 2:11b "Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God"  I can have questions.  It is okay, I am only human, but I will still try to have faith, that is after all the true meaning of faith, being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.(Hebrews 11:1)

The semester is 3 days from being 1/3 over.  I have finished several of the 13 books I had to read.  Turned in several of the 29 papers I had to write.  I have my first big exam on Monday (Christian Theology) and so far, of all the work I have had returned to me graded, the lowest grade has been 75/80!!  I am hanging in there, keeping going one day at a time.  I am thankful for the support and prayers of my friends and family.  I am most thankful for my wife.  She really is a "bulwark never failing" to borrow from Martin Luther.  I am so grateful for her love and attention.

I will continue to keep you posted.

DAB 9-25-2012 11:31PM

Heading into week three

Well, we survived week 2 and as we push into week three, I realize that things are beginning to come due in a hurry.  I have 2 papers that are due on Wednesday and Friday respectively, and as of next week, several of the books that I have to read should be finished (I am on task to finish several, but I really need to get going on a couple.)  I really need to start getting up earlier and use some time in the mornings to get work done, but laying in bed with my family and rushing to class is much more my current style. (Having the seminary building a 4 minute walk from my back door has its advantages and disadvantages.)  I am excited about our youth program starting back up at church this Wednesday, but it is more work that I have to keep on top of.  Thank goodness for Google Calendar, because without it, I don't think I would remember anything that I had to do.

I had an interesting discovery today.  I was singing with Cappella Romana, one of my favorite groups that I sing with, at the Middle Eastern Festival today (St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church), and I noticed that one of my professors was in the audience. After our performance I approached him to say hello, and I found out that he is member of the Orthodox church.  I thought that was different, seeing as he is a professor at an Evangelical Seminary, but it didn't bother me in the slightest.  I actually hold the Orthodox church with great respect.  I love their music and sense of tradition as well as the way that they are hospitable to everyone.  I also ran across the woman who lives in the town house directly across from us.  She revealed that she and her husband also called St. George their home church and that the were becoming Orthodox members very soon.  She said it in sort of hushed tones, like she didn't want it to get out, but who really cares.  Are evangelicals so rigid that they cannot even accept the teachings of the "Original Church?"

I have to be honest.  I am not even sure that I am an "evangelical" with a capital E.  I grew up in that church, and serve as a Pastor in one, but I am not sure that I like the stigma that comes with being an evangelical.  I love God, and accept that Jesus took my place on the cross, but every time you hear about some Christian religious wacko in the news, they are fundamentalist evangelical Christians saying and doing things that embarrass me (Westboro Baptist Church, I am looking at you) and making Christians look like a group of people who are hateful and bigoted. To quote Dr. Metzger (again, and it won't be the last time) we need to foster a sense of HOSPITALITY and not HOSTILITY.  We need to meet people where they are, to show them the way to Christ, not scream at them until they throw a FROSTY in your face.

As a young person, I spent a lot of time protesting abortion.  That is what my Dad was into, and that is what we would do on a Saturday morning.  Take some signs down to the clinic and make our presence known.  There were often times where people would scream at us, and sometimes people who were with us would scream back.  I remember those times always made me feel uncomfortable (as a 8-13 year old.)  There would also usually be a group of Catholics who would protest with us, but they didn't have any signs, and they didn't scream at anyone.  They would just stand in a circle and pray the rosary.  That stuck with me too.  They weren't militant, or even drawing attention to themselves.  They would just pray for God to work in the hearts of women who went into the clinics.  In the end, I am not sure who did more "good," but now I think that the Catholics may have modeled what it means to be a Christ follower better than we "evangelicals" did.

Sunday Family Dinner - take 1

I have this grand notion that since we are no longer a TV watching, or even a TV possessing, family that perhaps we should do something familial.  Something considered fairly old school by today's standards.

Imagine a Norman Rockwell painting...Burnett style

It is exceedingly difficult to plan a family dinner when:
1. You can't find any food except dried beans and a bit of onion;
2. The 'active' yeast you try to use for your domestic goddess style french bread recipe is not, in fact, active and;
3. You can't actually see your dining room table

So Sunday Family dinner - take 1
Recipes: US Senate Soup, Homemade Quick Rise French Bread
Attendees: Daniel, Myself, Aurelia, Brynn, Diane Burnett

Verdict: Soup was incredibly bland, but let's be honest, there's only so many things you can do with WIC dried beans. 

French bread dreams foiled by non-active yeast - utter fail.  Daniel and Diane made a valiant attempt to tell me that it wasn't that bad, but it really was.

  Conversation interesting.  How can there be anything but interesting conversation with this around?



 

-PW

Week One in Review

Well, I made it to the end of week one and i am not running for the hills yet.  I sat down to figure out exactly how much work I have to do, and it is a little overwhelming.  For the 17 semester hours that I am taking (the recommended number for someone who wants to finish the degree program in 3 years) I have 13 books to read, 29 papers to write [17 of them are 5 pages or less, but still..,] and 11 examinations to pass before December 15.  That along with coming up with meaningful lessons for Sunday school and Wednesday evening services at my church, and trying to keep my marriage together (which one class will actually give me credit for going on dates with my wife) and seeing my kids.  I guess the one thing that I am not going to do is have a life.  Oh well.

On Thursday's I have Principles of Spiritual formation, a class designed to make sure that all the Bible study in seminary doesn't become just head knowledge, and that we have an outlet to make it practical and applicable.  I was skeptical at first, like thinking that it will be a waste of time, but after the class, I was stoked.  As I alluded to before, this class requires married students to spend 3 hours a week "dating" their spouse.  It is called the Marriage Enrichment portion and it is 20% of our grades.  Other things that we have to do for the class include a 4 hour and 8 hour retreat of solitude to "be with" God.  I am not sure exactly what that means, but the instructor was adamant that we could not take anything with us, and we were to go somewhere that we wouldn't be distracted, and do nothing but sit, or stand, in the presence of God.

My longest class of the week is a 4 hour Old Testament Survey.  I was dreading this one too, but it turned out to be really cool.  It is another one of the ROBO-classroom classes where people from all over the country are joining in.  The professor, Dr. Josberger is really excited about the subject and her excitement makes what could be a very long, very boring class actually very interesting.  I am looking forward to diving into the word in that class.

One thing that I find interesting about Seminary is that while each class has required texts and the professors refer to the occasionally, most of them say that you don't even need to bring the text to class, just read, and in most cases write a paper proving that you have digested the information.  In only one class this whole week did a Professor say "Okay, now take out the book and turn to page......" and of course, that was the one book I was still waiting to get from Amazon.

I have so much work ahead of me, but I feel like this blog is an important way to decompress and share with others what I am learning.  I have written a lot this week, and I probably won't be able to keep up the pace, but I will make sure to check in regularly and I would covet the prayers of all of you while we are on this journey.

DAB 8-31-2012


I want to thank my wife Emily for all the support and hard work she is putting in.  Not only did she buy all my books for me online (not because I am incapable, but because she is great at finding deals online.)  She is also working part time, working hard to get our new apartment in order, and take care of the kids.  She is a real Proverbs 31 woman.  I love you!!!

Day 2 or 3, I can't remember

Well, today was day 3 of the semester, but I didn't have class Tuesday, so really it was day 2 of classes for me.  On Tuesday, there was a convocation chapel in which the whole student body (college, graduate school, and seminary) all got together to dedicate the year.  Dr. Dan Lockwood, who is the president of Multnomah and also a PCHS graduate, gave a great speech about finding and being a mentor.  He used the example of Barnabas in the book of Acts to encourage every student to find someone who could be an encouraging friend.  It got me thinking of all the people who were mentors to me in the past.  I can think of Jim Budlong, Don Ebel, and Evan Irwin who encouraged me to foster my musical talents at a young age, and use them to glorify the Lord.  Bob Barber and Nancy Parker who inspired my love of music, Choral music in particular.  Dr. Scott Tuomi and Dr. Bruce Browne who were instrumental in my studies at Portland State.  Tamara Anderson really came alongside me as I began by teaching career at PCHS.  Jon Stuber and more recently Paul Quarino as partners in music ministry.  But like Dr. Lockwood, I would have to agree that the people who were my biggest mentors and encouragers were also my parents.  Andrew and Diane, thank you for always supporting me.  Being there, and being an inspiration to me.  I know that you may not feel like it all the time, but I am who I am because of you.  The sacrifices you make and the blood sweat and tears that you both poured out.  THANK YOU.

Today, in class I was beginning to notice a couple themes that were prevailing in almost all of my classes thus far.  The first one is the idea of  Sola and Prima Scriptura.  Only Scripture, and First Scripture.  Multnomah has had the slogan for many year "If it's Bible you want, you want Multnomah" or something along those lines, but it really is true that we use the scripture as the basis for everything that we study.  In Theology we talked about the Wesleyan Quadrilateral which is seen here:

No it isn't the Wesley from ST:TNG, and it isn't even a real quadrilateral.  (even I know that and I am horrible at math and geometry.)  What it is are the 4 areas to be considered when studying Systematic Theology.  Reason, Tradition, and Experience; all wrapped in a large tortilla shell of the scriptures.

In both theology and Biblical Interpretation we discussed the concept of Presuppositionless Exegesis.  That concept says that you cannot study the scriptures (or anything else for that matter) without bringing your own "Baggage" for lack of a better term.  Our experiences and upbringing will always effect the way we look at the Bible.

Another thing that came up in both classes was the story of the rich young man who wanted to become a disciple, but wasn't willing to give up everything he had to follow Christ.  This story really hit home for me, even though I was by no means "rich," I did live a comfortable life.  We owned a home. Had some nice things, and now it seems like we have given most of it up to follow the call of Christ.

There is a pretty adequate workout facility here on campus, and we are free to bring one guest with us, so if anyone wants to work our for free, let me know.

I have my First "Bible Class" on Friday, the assignment on the class website is to come to class having read all of Genesis. It took three days, but I finished tonight.  Now, I was pretty familiar with most of the stories and characters from Sunday school, and bible class at PC, but there were some ones that I don't ever remember talking about like the raping and inscest stories.  I wonder how that discussion is going to go?

DAB-8-29-12